Prelims Bits » E-Waste

E-Waste

Why in the News?

  • Increase in E-Waste creates hurdles for waste segregation.

About 

1.Background

  • E-waste is any electrical or electronic equipment that’s been discarded
  • This includes working and broken items that are thrown in the garbage or donated to a charity reseller like Goodwill
  • Often, if the item goes unsold in the store, it will be thrown away. E-waste is particularly dangerous due to toxic chemicals that naturally leach from the metals inside when buried

  • Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the country

  • Growth of the Information and Communication Technology sector has enhanced the usage of electronic equipment exponentially

  • Faster obsolescence and subsequent up-gradation of electronics products, are forcing consumers to discard old products, which in turn accumulate huge e-waste in the solid waste stream

  • E-waste is growing in India at the rate of 10%. Major recycling of e-waste is carried out in the non-formal sector using primitive and hazardous methods

  •  Adequate legislative measures and cost-effective, environmentally friendly, technological solutions would be needed to address the issue

2.Legislative Measure by INDIA

  • India is the only country in South Asia with a specific e-waste law in place, since 2011. The e-waste rules, formerly the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, provide guidelines for the transportation, storage and recycling of waste, and also introduced the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR)

  • EPR is a known policy tool that requires makers of electronics to take financial and/or physical responsibility for managing the disposal of their products after the end of their lives

  • In March 2018 the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) amended the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016

  • Key highlights of  the new rules 

  • Responsibility of producer: As per the amendment, the provisions shall apply to producers who have placed any goods in the market in the current financial year and the targets for the extended producer responsibility plan

  • 13(1) xiii Procedure for seeking and grant of authorization: The e-waste already collected by producers as per Schedule III(A) in earlier years will be accounted for and the eligible set-offs shall be provided for the corresponding years at the time of fixation of targets as per Schedule-III

  • In case of transfer or sale of assets by the producers the liability under Extended Producer Responsibility shall also be transferred to the buyer

  • A Producer Responsibility Organization shall apply to the Central Pollution Control Board for registration to undertake the activities prescribed for Producer Responsibility Organizations 

  • Procedure for seeking and grant of authorization- Authorization to manufacturer: the concerned State Pollution Control Board after giving reasonable opportunity of being heard to the applicant may refuse to grant or renewal authorization

  • Reduction of Hazardous Substances: If the product does not comply with the Reduction of Hazardous Substances provisions, then the cost of the Reduction of Hazardous Substances test will be borne by the Producer and in addition, the Producer shall take corrective measures to bring the product into compliance and withdraw or recall the product from the market within a reasonable period as per the guidelines of the CPCB